The Empath
by TiKanis
Summary: AU She had the gift to feel what everyone around her was feeling. She felt the desire he felt, and couldn't keep herself from kissing him. Ch 3. SxS
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto, just here for the fun of writing about our favorite pairing.

Summary: Sakura has been kicked out of schools so many times for bad behaviour. But it wasn't her fault. The emotions she could feel were not hers. She was able to feel other people's feelings, which inturn, causes her to act for them. For her senior year, she finds herself in a new school, yet again. One more fight, and she would be officially kicked out of the school system.

Ten years later, at the age of 28, Sakura is one of the best lawyers out there, having put many criminals away. Her empathic powers helped her discern who was guilty and who was innocent. Now, forced to work with the police department on a critical case, Sakura meets her old classmate, Sasuke. It was his fault that she had been kicked out school for the final time. The anger he held inside him boiled inside her. She hated him.

Pairing: Sasuke and Sakura

Rating: T+

* * *

**The Empath**

_By Tikanis and DreamDevourer_

Chapter One

_Please, understand. They're not my feelings_

Sakura stared outside the window, it was snowing. She loved the snow. It was so calming and beautiful. Her gaze moved left of the window, following the stacks of bookshelves that lined the four corner room. Artwork hung on the walls in between bookshelves. Some were paintings of animals, others of landscapes, some of people she had no idea who they were. There were two white sofas in the room: one she was sitting on, the other her parents occupied. On a black sofa chair sat the supposed psychologist.

"She can't go on like this," her mother continued. "She's only eight years old and she's been kicked out of two schools for fighting with her classmates. The teachers say she has a lot of aggression in her, which I don't understand since she has everything a little girl could ever ask for."

Sakura sat there, with her hands underneath her bottom and her legs crossed at the ankles. Her parents presumed she was crazy, that's why they brought her to see the shrink. But she knew she wasn't crazy. She didn't start those fights on purpose. One of the kids was being bullied during school recess and suddenly she felt anger in her, anger that she couldn't control along with fear. The two kids involved were fully grown fifth graders, so compared to them, she was tiny. That didn't stop her from tackling the bully onto the cement ground and continuously punching him in his face.

She really didn't want to do it. She knew what she was doing was terribly wrong. But the feeling wasn't hers. The crowd amongst her was cheering her on, while others were panicking, and the anger from the bully only added to the boiling pot of her emotions. Suddenly she was pulled off him, and she was still kicking and screaming when they dragged her to the principal's office. It took well over an hour for those feelings to escape her.

That was the first fight; the second was similar to the first, but at a different school.

She tried to explain to her parents that it wasn't her fault, she couldn't control it. Her parents looked scared and confused. She was their only child. They assumed they spoiled her so much when she was a baby that her tantrums now were the after effect.

"Huh?" Sakura mumbled, finally coming to her senses that the shrink was talking to her.

"And how do you feel about what your parents are saying?"

Sakura shrugged as she looked at the shrink's perfect posture. Her hair was perfectly tied back in a bun, her blue blouse fit her body nicely, and her shoes were dark blue and scruff free. Yeah, the shrink looked perfect. She probably had perfect handwriting and a perfect life too. She had no idea what Sakura was dealing with. She wouldn't understand.

Sakura, herself, didn't quite understand what's wrong with herself, but she knew that people like her teachers, her parents, and this perfect shrink would never understand her. They would simply label her crazy and put her away in some mental hospital, at least that's what one of her classmates said to her. "_You belong locked up in some mental hospital where all the insane people go!"_ the sister of the boy she beat up had yelled at her.

"Sakura, honey, please answer her," her father pleaded. Sakura liked her father the most. His feelings were quite simple, and they would appear one at a time, usually he was indifferent to a lot of things, so Sakura found some solitude in staying in his office as he did his work. Unlike her mother who was an emotional wreck, but she guessed all artists were annoyingly emotional.

She shrugged again.

"You see what I mean?" her mother said, as she wiped her eyes with a tissue her father handed to her. "If only she would talk to us, so we can fix whatever problem she has."

The phone at the desk rang, and the shrink apologized for the disturbance and quickly murmured something into the phone and hung up.

Ah, now Sakura knew where that tiny bit of anger was coming from. She assumed it was from her parents. But now she understood that her parents were just worried and sad: it was the shrink. When Sakura had first walked into the office, the shrink had been on the phone and had looked a bit unnerved. She had felt something, but it wasn't strong enough to identify the source.

The weird feeling was slowly building up inside Sakura. _Please, not now_, she begged. The last thing she wanted to do was appear crazy in front of a person that had the power to put her in a mental hospital. Her father was a lawyer though, so he wouldn't allow that, right? Sadly, no amount of begging was going to stop the emotional buildup.

She wondered how this perfect shrink could have such anger inside her. Being so young, Sakura knew she wasn't aware of feelings outside of anger and happiness and sadness. When she comes across new people, immediately their feelings are categorized into those three, because that's all she was fully aware of. Unfortunately for her, the people she comes across always end up under the anger column.

The phone rang again, and the shrink's emotions were crawling underneath Sakura's skin. She bit down on her bottom lip and held her hands in a tight clasp on her lap.

The ringing stopped, and the shrink apologized once more, her perfect look was starting to fade. Her parents looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

The third time the phone rang, Sakura snapped. She ran to the phone and answered before the shrink could.

"What don't you understand, you son of a bitch!?" Sakura yelled into the phone. "You're a cheating bastard and I want nothing to do with you! One more time you call me and I will call the police!" She was out of breath as she tossed the phone across the room. It smashed against the bookcase.

The shrink gasped in shock. She held her hand to her mouth, startled.

Sakura looked to her parents. Her mother was in a fit of tears and her father stared at her in amazement. Sakura fell down to her knees and started crying. "Please don't send me away, please," she begged the shrink. "I didn't mean it, I really didn't. I couldn't help it. You were so angry and…and it made me angry. Please, I don't want to go to a mental place. I'll be good, I promise. Please, please!"

Suddenly, Sakura felt two arms around her. No one, other than her father, ever embraced her after her tantrums. But this perfect looking shrink did. "It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with you, you're going to be alright."

Nine years later, Sakura was looking through her window and watched as her mother placed her luggage in the trunk of her car. Her father stood off to the side, hands in his pockets. Her mother gave him a hug goodbye, but he didn't return it.

An hour later, Sakura was still by the window, but her mother was long gone. She knew it was her fault her mother left.

The shrink couldn't find a psychological problem with Sakura. She wasn't bipolar, she wasn't schizophrenic, nor did she have any other spilt personality disorders. She was just a girl whom had too much empathy for the people around her. The shrink said it wasn't a set theory, but there were people out in the world, who have the capability to feel what the people around them felt.

Sure, normal people were empathic to others, but some chosen few had ten times more empathy. Children had a stronger feeling of empathy than adults, and by the age of ten, they start to lose those strong feelings, but there were children, like Sakura, whom instead of having less of that feeling, they get more of it.

So yes, in the years past, Sakura's emotional state had gotten worse, not better. It wasn't just the anger this time; it was the sadness that sent her into a fit of tears in the middle of class, it was the happiness that would make her laugh and cause a disturbance, it was the jealously that she felt and would cause her to trip a girl down the stairs at school. None of them were her feelings, though. At this point, she wasn't sure if she had any feelings of her own.

She didn't have any friends. She was labeled as a creep or a loser amongst her peers. Even her teachers didn't much care for her. How could they, when she would randomly curse at them in class?

Sakura was sure, that when she had tripped that girl down the stairs, she would definitely be locked away. But her father was now a renowned judge in court, and he had friends in high places, so he was able to keep his daughter out of the clutches of the doctors.

"Sakura, dinner is ready!" She heard her father yell from the bottom of the stairs. She sighed as she pushed herself from the window and went down stairs.

She immediately embraced her father from behind. "I'm so sorry, Daddy," she murmured against his back. Her father turned off the stove and turned around.

"Ah, Sakura, don't worry your pretty little head about it," he said as he placed two plates on the counter.

Sakura felt the sadness coming from her father. She knew he was trying to appear happy for her, but he couldn't hide his true emotions.

"I'm trying, Daddy, I really am. I'm trying to stay away from people and not cause trouble, and I always have my music on so I don't pay attention to anyone else. I honestly don't do it on purpose! " she said. Her father wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I know, sweetheart. It's not your fault about your mother leaving. She just wants to go on another path and I won't stop her. She will be happy elsewhere and I will be happy here with you."

"Do you really mean it, Daddy? Because I would understand, really, I would understand if you don't want me anymore either."

Her father gave her a warm hug and patted her head. "Munchkin, I know you are worried and scared, but just know, that you are my daughter and I love you."

Sakura smiled lightly, knowing full well her father was telling the truth.

"Now, let's eat up before dinner gets cold."

Halfway done with dinner, her father cleared his throat. "Sakura, I was thinking…"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Well, how would you feel about moving to a different town? Hmm? Summer is coming to an end, and you will be starting your senior year in high school."

"But what about your job?" Sakura asked as she moved the rice from one side of her plate to the other, piece by piece with her fork. She was trying to understand what her father was feeling. He seemed sincere with his idea.

"I can easily get a court job in another town, sweetie. It's not a big deal. I just feel it's best that you and I can start fresh this year. It's a new opportunity, what do you think?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Sakura smiled at him. She wasn't too sure about the idea of going to a new town. It took her awhile to get used to the people in this place. Now she would have to get used to new people. But maybe it was a good idea. She can leave her troubles behind her and no one will know of her problems. She can be a normal girl, in a new town, well, at least she can try. "Definitely, a good idea." She added, more assuring.

Three weeks later, Sakura found herself in Konoha.

She had gone for a long afternoon run, and stopped to get some food at a diner near her home.

It was Friday evening, and the diner was packed with kids her age. Already, she was getting nervous as she took a seat towards the very back of the diner. These kids were all wild with their behavior. They were loud and obnoxious, which aggravated the workers, which in turn, aggravated her. She plugged the earphones in her ears and turned up the volume of her Ipod.

She breathed in and out, trying to ease her mind. She kept her mind focused on the music playing as she waited for a someone to serve her. Despite the loud music, she could still hear the bickering of some girls not too far from her. Her gaze went to the waitress that was serving the bratty group of girls.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at them. It seemed like the girls were taunting the young waitress. The dark-haired waitress walked away, nearly in tears. _It's not your problem, Sakura, it's not your problem,_ she told herself. She was able to calm herself down, that is, until the same waitress came to serve her. _Oh, no, not you. Stay away from me._ But it was too late, the feelings already started inside her. It wasn't just sadness, but hatred as well. The hatred turned into evil thoughts and Sakura tried her best to keep them out of mind.

_Focus on the music, focus on the music_, she repeated in her head, helplessly. It didn't work. Her ears drowned out the music and her attention was solely on the waitress, whom was waiting for her order. "I'm not ready to order," Sakura blurted out, trying to get the waitress away from her. With a nod, the waitress walked to the counter, picked up a tray of smoothies and walked back to the group of girls.

_They don't deserve any happiness. They were spoiled and mean and they shouldn't even be allowed to breathe. If only someone treated them the way they treated me_, she thought. Over the years, Sakura was able to discern the difference between someone else's feelings and her own.

She knew those were not her emotions. They were simply brought on by the helpless waitress. And now, she would be the one to act on them. _Please, no_, she pleaded with some unknown power as she neared the group. Yet, no such power ever came to her aid, she would always find herself acting on other people's emotions.

Sakura grabbed the glass of smoothie and glared down at the girl that was seated at the edge of the booth. The girl had long blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes were so bright.

"What do you want, freak?" the blonde blue-eyed girl asked with annoyance, and that did it. Sakura raised the glass over her head and tipped it over. The strawberry smoothie poured down her face and the girl shrieked.

"Bitch," Sakura said as she slammed the glass on the table and walked off, leaving the waitress and the group of girls in complete shock.

"You fucking bitch!" the girl yelled from her seat. "You will pay for this!"

Sakura urged herself to ignore her as she walked towards the exit. A group of guys in football jacket stood by the door, all snickering and pointing at the blonde girl. They turned their attention to her.

"Yo, Sasuke, she totally just dumped a drink on your girlfriend, what are you going to do about it?" one of the guys teased.

The guy, by the name of Sasuke, stood in front of the exit door, blocking her way. His hands were in his pockets. He looked so emotionless, it surprised her.

"Move," Sakura demanded and shoved the door open. Her arm had briefly scrapped against his forearm, but the small touch left her breathless. All that anger and upset had been clearly wiped from her system. Suddenly, she felt at peace and calm. Not sparing him another look, she ran out.

* * *

Sasuke and his friends had just walked into the diner when they saw the girl with pink hair pour a drink over his girlfriend's head. The first thought that came to his mind was: why on earth did the girl have pink hair. The second thought was: who the hell was the girl with the pink hair? The third thought was: damn, now I have to deal with a raging mad girlfriend.

She walked towards them, her hands were clenched into fists and her lips were pressed into a thin. Her body language showed that she was angry, but then her eyes told of a different story. Her emerald eyes held fear. The girl sure was confusing.

Sasuke ignored his friend's comment about his girlfriend and moved aside for the girl to open the door. He watched through the glass door as she ran off onto the street.

_To be continued..._

* * *

On the next chapter...

Sakura tried her best to evade the crowd of crazy teenagers. There was a fight in the middle of the hallway, which was blocking her from going to her class. _God, if you really are out there, and if you really care for me, just a tiny bit, then please, please, I beg you, keep me away from this fight, _she pleaded as she held her books tightly against her chest. She was feeling the emotions in the air. The adrenaline rushed through her body as the crowd cheered on. She wanted to walk away, but her body was being pulled towards the center of all of this chaos. She dropped her books onto the ground and pushed through the circle.

Just as she made it to the front, her arm was tugged. Confused as to whom would grab her, much less touch her, she turned around to meet the person. Her eyes met his dark ones, and suddenly, it felt like her world was spinning. The agression was leaving her system.

"Stay away from that, it could get dangerous. You better go wait somewhere else until this dies down," Sasuke said. She found herself nodding and following him. "Wait here," he ordered and returned back to the crowd.

* * *

Ah! We greatly appreciate you took the time to read! This story will not be a highschool theme. After a few more chapters, they will be adults and have careers.

We love hearing from you guys, any thoughts/questions/comments, please drop a review. :)

Thank you!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto, just here for the fun of writing about our favorite pairing.

Summary: Sakura has been kicked out of schools so many times for bad behaviour. But it wasn't her fault. The emotions she could feel were not hers. She was able to feel other people's feelings, which inturn, causes her to act for them. For her senior year, she finds herself in a new school, yet again. One more fight, and she would be officially kicked out of the school system.

Ten years later, at the age of 28, Sakura is one of the best lawyers out there, having put many criminals away. Her empathic powers helped her discern who was guilty and who was innocent. Now, forced to work with the police department on a critical case, Sakura meets her old classmate, Sasuke. It was his fault that she had been kicked out school for the final time. The anger he held inside him boiled inside her. She hated him.

Pairing: Sasuke and Sakura

Rating: T+

* * *

**The Empath**

_By Tikanis and DreamDevourer_

Chapter Two  
A secret to share

Sakura stared at her reflection in the mirror. Often times, she couldn't recognize herself. She would be so lost in the emotions of others, that her image of herself would be blurred and she would see herself as another person. There were some people she met that were so judgmental about their appearances. Their self-esteem was so low, which in turn, lowered her confidence. She hated how her mind played tricks with her.

Sakura closed her eyes, recalling a dreadful event caused by her empathic curse. She had started her junior year on a good note. She had secluded herself from everyone. She sat in the back of each class and focused on her class assignments, trying her best to keep her mind from wavering to the people around her. Everything was going smoothly, until a month into the year. It was October and a new student had entered her History class. Her name was Megumi. She had dark brown hair that was always braided and she always wore baggy clothes.

The popular girls in the class were ruthless as ever as they gossiped about her body weight and her lack of fashion sense. Sakura knew how hard it was to be the new student—the one that stood out from the crowd and was picked on. So it was normal for her to feel sorry for Megumi.

Unfortunately for Sakura, that little empathy for her new classmate started to grow to the point where she was drowning in misery. For the first time ever, she felt the ruthless effect that depression brought. A small seed of self-loath was planted in her head, and it grew. With each waken moment, Sakura hated herself. She hated her long blonde hair. She hated how fat she was—even though she really wasn't, but depression told her otherwise. She lost interest in her books and music. She wouldn't eat nor speak to anyone. She tried to get herself out of this misery, but with each passing day she saw Megumi, the feeling worsened.

Her father had been too involved in an important case to notice the changes in her. And her mother had slowly developed a wall between the two. Sakura knew her mother had grown weary of all the troubles she has caused.

She had felt so alone and hated. Finally, something in her compelled her to go to the drugstore, buy a box of pink hair dye, and dye her hair. That same night, Sakura had sat in the bathtub of cold water, fully clothed, her arms wrapped around her legs as she cried. She had chopped of her long locks only a few minutes ago, having felt disgusted by the new color.

Her mind was in such a dark place. She was drowning in self-pity. She couldn't bring herself back into the light and she didn't know how to ask for help. She needed to feel something other than depression. For a long time, she had eyed the scissors she had placed on the edge of the tub. Ever so hesitantly, she grabbed them and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt. Yes, she needed an escape.

Sakura's eyes snapped open. Her body shivered from the past memory. Her gaze went back to the mirror and it trailed down to her wrists. She wore a watch with a wide black leather band on her left hand, and a similar leather bracelet on her right, only it had tiny metal spikes.

They concealed her physical damage on her wrists, but not in her soul. Sakura will never forget the look on her mother's face when she found her in a tub of red water, half unconscious. Her mother had been so afraid but deep down, Sakura had sensed the small speck of disgust. She was not the daughter her mother had wished for.

That was the last straw for her mother. She had stayed a few more months after that, to make sure she healed properly. She had left to seek a new life for herself, one away from the problems Sakura caused. Her father, on the other hand, seemed more understanding. He felt compelled to be his daughter's savior. He kept her away from the clutches of psychiatrists and doctors that thought it was best to lock her away, for her own safety.

"Sakura! Hurry up, you're going to be late!" her father called.

Sakura took one last look at her soulless green eyes that were lined with black eyeliner. "Here we go again," she muttered as she headed for the stairs.

"Sakura…you look…" her father wasn't sure how to react to his daughters dark make up. He thought she was over that stage of her life. "…what happened to the girly shoes we bought last week?"

"Ugh! Dad! It's bad enough I have to wear this uniform, but not the shoes. At least I feel somewhat normal with my boots on," she grumbled as she walked pass him and to the door.

"Well, okay," he shrugged. Sakura might have emotional issues, but she was still a teenager. He dealt with a lot of troubled teenagers in court, so he thought it best to let her choose her own image she wanted to display. "Drive carefully then," he called after her.

"Yeah, yeah," Sakura walked away but quickly came to a halt. "Hey Dad!" she ran back to him, her black combat boots made it difficult to run gracefully. She ran up the stone steps and hugged him.

"Ah, munchkin, you're gonna be alright, okay? Just stay focused," he soothed her as he returned the hug.

"Thanks," she mumbled, letting him go. She ran back down the steps, only to twirl around one more time. "You really think my hair looks okay?" she inquired after the pink locks she had kept because her father had said it had suited her just fine.

"It makes you look as mystical as an angel," he replied with a grin.

"Ugh! Dad, you're so corny! Gosh, well, bye then!" with a final wave, she jumped into her black car.

* * *

Sakura sat across from the principle. He seemed like a genuinely nice old man, yet he was serious as well, which was probably why the school was known to have a good reputation. Barely any trouble was caused here, since the principle hounded and punished anyone that misbehaved.

"And I've seen your record, Miss Haruno," the principle continued. "Let's just say I'm not impressed at all and I will not tolerate any misconduct, no matter who your father may be. "

Sakura simply nodded. She knew her father had pulled a lot of strings to get her into this school. She had to try her best to not screw this up, if not for her sake, then for her father's. She wondered how he had so much patience and tolerance for her. She was grateful to have him as her father.

"We are on the same page, then?"

"Yes sir," she replied as she accepted her class schedule that he handed to her.

"Great, now here's a tardy slip to give to your teacher so you won't be marked late. I hope you have a more successful time with us here then you did in your previous schools."

Sakura gave him a polite smile. He had no idea how much she had prayed for that as well.

Sakura was more than half an hour late for her first period class. She let out a small groan of frustration. She had hoped she could sneak in the back of the class before the class had even started, but the principle had kept her in the office too long. Now she had to face all her classmates.

_Great, just great_, she thought, already nervous. _Just take_ _deep breathes, Sakura, you can do it. Be calm._ The door to her Literature class was opened. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped into the room.

The wave of emotions hit her, but they were easily pushed away. It was a Monday morning, most of the students were still half asleep, and no one was annoyed or angry yet. She didn't let her eyes wander around the room. She simply walked straight to the teacher's desk and handed the tardy note to her.

The middle-aged, brunette woman looked up at her, startled.

Sakura's lips formed a small grin. It seemed that the teacher wasn't expecting a pink-haired girl to show up to her class. Maybe her father was right in keeping her hair color pink; it would throw others off guard long enough for her to have a chance to control the emotions around her.

Not waiting for the teacher to say anything, Sakura turned away from her and spotted an empty seat by the window, towards the back of the room. She made a beeline for the empty seat, all awhile avoiding the stares from her classmates. Okay, maybe her father was a tad bit wrong, now everyone would notice her.

She dropped her backpack alongside the desk and sat down. She felt everyone's curious eyes on her, but she ignored them as she stared out the window. It was a sunny, pleasant day. Hopefully her time here would be just as pleasant.

The young man sitting in front of her got up and walked to the front of the classroom, leaving her to stare at the back head of another young man. His hair looked very familiar.

There was only one man she had met with jet black hair that spiked up the way his did. And that man had a blonde girlfriend whom she had spilled a smoothie on. _Ah fuck_, she really hoped she was mistaken by the comparison. There could be a ton of guys in the town with hair like that.

At least, that's what she hoped, until his head slowly turned and she was now staring into the onyx eyes of Sasuke. _Damn it_, she quickly looked away, embarrassed that she was caught staring at him. If he was here, that meant his girlfriend went to this school as well. Could she be in her class? She quickly skimmed the rows, and low and behold, there she was. She sat in the middle of the row of chairs, with her groupie around her. And she was glaring daggers at her.

_Great…just fucking great_, she thought, annoyed that she was stuck in the same classroom as that snotty brat. She opened up her backpack and pulled out her Ipod. She placed one ear piece in her ear and untied her hair, letting it fall loose unto her shoulders so she could hide the headphones from the teacher._ Focus on the music,_ she told herself and drowned out everyone from her mind.

* * *

Sasuke had been glancing outside the window for the most part of the class. First day of classes usually consisted of paperwork from the teachers and receiving any new books, other than that, the class was free to spend the remaining of the time doing what they wanted, as long as no one talked. His trance had been broken when one of his teammates tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the girl entering the classroom.

"Yo, it's the chick from the diner," his teammate, Ryuu, pointed out with a grin.

Sasuke tried not to look surprised, when indeed he was. He didn't think he would see the girl again, yet there she was, in his class. She walked with her chin up, but her gaze was focused on the teacher. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore the standard white blouse with blue skirt uniform the girls had to wear. His eyes trailed down her body, stopping on her legs. He smirked at the black combat boots the girl wore.

_So she was one of those rebellious girls_, he presumed. From her pink hair, to the leather spiked bracelet, and her combat boots, she was definitely one of those rule-breakers.

She walked away from the teacher and headed down the aisle he sat in. He didn't know why he held his breath as she walked by him. Her head was bowed, so she didn't see him.

Moments later he felt someone eyeing him. The feeling of being watched was so intense. He turned his head slowly, not trying to catch the attention of his teammates, as he looked behind him. And there she was, two seats behind him, her stunning green eyes staring him down. He didn't like girls with so much dark make up, but her eyeliner made her eye color pop out so much, it was like she was staring into his soul.

She moved her gaze elsewhere, and he followed. It landed on his girlfriend, whom was giving the new girl a murderous look. Ah, he had forgotten about the interaction between the two girls at the diner a few days ago. He watched as the girl let her hair loose, it fell to her shoulders. She was hiding the headphones in her ears with her hair. _Clever girl_, he thought as he turned back around in his seat.

Shortly after, the bell rang and the students sluggishly got up to leave the room.

"Damn, next period is going to be such a drag," Ryuu whined as he grabbed his books and waited for Sasuke to do the same.

Not wanting to seem out of the ordinary, Sasuke agreed and walked with him out the room. They waited outside the room for their girlfriends. Sasuke's ears perked up at the sound of her voice.

"No, sorry. I don't recall ever meeting you."

"You freak! It was at the diner—"

"Oh? That was you? I must say, you look like a whole different person without a smoothie dripping from your head." Sasuke tried to suppress his grin at the sarcasm in the girl's voice.

"Why you little—"

"Well, it was great catching up with you, but I have a class to get to."

The girl walked out the room with a smirk of her own on her face.

* * *

Sakura had a feeling she would be ambushed by the posse of girls as she tried to leave the room. They blocked the exit.

"Can I help you?" she inquired as she removed the headphone from her ear.

The girl looked a bit shocked. "You don't remember me?" she asked, a bit melodramatic.

"No, sorry. I don't recall ever meeting you," Sakura lied with a shrug. Of course she remembered the nitwit, but she wasn't going to indulge the girl.

"You freak! It was at the diner—"

Sakura's eye twitched with annoyance. She reminded herself that there was no point in getting worked up over this girl. She didn't need the trouble. It was best she calmed herself and just walked away. She breathed lightly in and out. "Oh? That was you? I must say, you look like a whole different person without a smoothie dripping from your head."

"Why you little—"

"Well, it was great catching up with you, but I have a class to get to," Sakura interjected quickly as she walked pass them. She placed her headphone back in her ear and stepped out the room. She was too focused on reading her class schedule to notice the young man that leaned against the wall. It was when she was a few yards away, did she notice the weird vibe, the same one from a few nights ago. She turned around and he was walking in the opposite direction with his group of friends.

_Don't dwell on it_, she told herself. But she couldn't help herself. She had yet to meet someone without any emotions. Could that be possible? To be void of any emotion whatsoever? And if he had no emotion, then there were no emotions for her to feel when around him, aside from her own. It had been a long time since she felt her own emotions. Over the years, she'd forgotten how to feel for herself.

* * *

The next two class periods passed, and Sasuke still hadn't seen the girl. No one even knew her name yet. He looked for her in the hallway in between classes, but couldn't spot her. He wasn't quite sure why he kept an eye out for her.

He walked into his Advanced Biology class, only to notice that everyone was standing by the blackboard.

"We're being assigned seating," a kid murmured to him.

Sasuke grimaced. He always sat by the window in every class. Looking outside usually helped him be at ease. Mr. Hiru was one of those serious old teachers that taught by the book. It was going to be a long year in this class. Minutes passed, and nearly all the students were seated.

"Sakura Haruno?" the teacher called the unknown name. "Sakura Haruno?" the name was repeated; still no one stepped forward to claim the name.

Sasuke wondered who Sakura Haruno was but quickly realized it was the new girl. It had to be her. They hadn't had new students all morning, except for her. _Sakura,_ he mused. The name seemed too sweet to belong to the aggressive girl.

Her name was called one last time.

"Yes?" came a response from the door. All eyes turned to the young girl. "Sorry, I had trouble finding the room," she said as she walked pass him and to the lab desk the teacher pointed.

"Don't be late again," Mr. Hiru warned as he adjusted his glasses. She nodded

Sasuke tried to look anywhere else but at her. He didn't want to be caught staring, but every few seconds, his eyes would return back to her. She was flipping through the textbook and came to a pause. She was biting her lower lip and tapping her finger tips on the table. He wondered why she was so anxious.

His name was finally called and his brow rose in question at the seat that the teacher pointed. So he would get to sit next to her? Interesting.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her flinch as he took his seat. _She's a weird one, that's for sure_, he thought as he pretended to listen to the teacher, all awhile, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She was sneaking her Ipod out again, as she had done in the first class. He wondered if she knew she would get detention if she got caught with that thing. Telling himself it wasn't any of business, he turned his focus to the lecture Mr. Hiru was giving.

* * *

Sakura was well aware of him sitting next to her; she found it difficult to be calm. At one point, his elbow had brushed against her arm as he flipped open his text book; and it nearly rendered her breathless. She couldn't comprehend this young man, and it scared her.

What frightened her even more was the weird effect he was having on her so fast, leaving her open to so many possibilities. She could actually think with her own thoughts now. As soon as she had entered the room, she had felt the aggravation coming from the students. She fought it off as best she could, and was nearly going to snap at the teacher for the unfairness of the seating arrangements that the students felt, until he sat next to her, and she calmed down.

Maybe there were people that truly didn't feel anything. She had gazed at his eyes twice. Once at the diner and another time in the morning class and still, she saw nothing there. It was like he was dead inside. She wondered what event in his life had caused such trauma to him that he would build a wall around himself.

Whatever the reason for this mysterious guy, she was somewhat glad he was next to her. His presence definitely startled her and frightened her, but at least she wasn't feeling anyone else's emotions.

As soon as the bell rang, Sakura gathered her things in a hurry and left the room. She had been late for all her classes so far, and they've all given her warnings. She really didn't want to be the last one in class again. It was awkward having to introduce herself in front of everyone, as she had done in her History class last period.

She walked down the hallway that led to her class, only to come to a halt. A group was gathering around and shouts came from all sides. Students shoved her as they tried to get a better view of what was happening.

Sakura tried her best to evade the crowd of crazy teenagers. There was a fight in the middle of the hallway, which was blocking her from going to her class. _God, if you really are out there, and if you really care for me, just a tiny bit, then please, please, I beg you, keep me away from this fight,_she pleaded as she held her books tightly against her chest. She was feeling the emotions in the air. The adrenaline rushed through her body as the crowd cheered on. She wanted to walk away, but her body was being pulled towards the center of all of this chaos. She dropped her books onto the ground, along with her backpack, and pushed through the circle.

_Please_, she begged, her tears blurred her vision. Her day had gone smoothly so far, with very little drama. She was trying her best to behave so her father would be proud of her. She didn't want to mess it up now. Her hands formed into fists. She had an urge to fight, a feeling that she was so familiar with.

Just as she made it to the front, her arm was tugged. Confused as to who would grab her, much less touch her, she turned around to meet the person. Her eyes met his dark ones, and suddenly, it felt like her world was spinning. The aggression was leaving her system as her body was trying to attach itself to this man's emotions. But there was nothing to attach to, so she was left with her own feelings.

"Stay away from that, it could get dangerous. You better go wait somewhere else until this dies down," Sasuke said. She found herself nodding and following him. "Wait here," he ordered and returned back to the crowd.

* * *

Sasuke had difficulty keeping up with her. She had practically ran out of the class as soon as the bell had rung. Had she even been paying attention in class? The teacher clearly had stated that the person they were sitting next was to be their lab partners, and that they were to start planning out their lab for next class. He had wanted to ask her when they could meet up to discuss the lab or to get her number, but she was long gone. He saw her pink head through the crowd of people.

Suddenly, she had come to a halt. From the distance, he saw her books fall to the ground as she marched to the crowd that had manifested. Was she getting herself involved in the fight? What was she thinking? He wasn't sure what to do. Let her go? Pull her away from that?

Instincts took over as he pushed through the crowd and grabbed her arm. He whirled her around and was shocked to see how troubled she was. She was shaking with emotion. He wasn't sure what to do. He led her away from the crowd, to a different hallway.

"Wait here," he said and went back to grab her backpack. A whistle was blown and he quickly escaped as the crowd scattered and security came.

He returned to where he had left her. She hadn't moved from her spot. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning against the lockers. She was muttering something but he couldn't comprehend what she was saying. "Come on, we have to go before security spots us," he said as he grabbed her hand and led her away.

Sakura wasn't sure why she was allowing him to lead her away. She never allowed anyone to console her or help her, not that they could actually help her. But this guy—stranger, actually, was helping her escape her fear. He had no idea how he had just saved her. She could've done so much damage and would've probably finally been locked away for good. There was only so any times her father could come to her aid.

She wasn't sure where he was leading her, but she followed like a lost puppy. They went up a staircase, all the way to the top.

"This is where I come, when it gets a little crazy in this place," he was telling her as he opened the metal door.

She stepped through and what seemed like forever, she finally breathed in peace.

Sasuke leaned against the door frame. He had no idea why in God's name he brought her up here. The rooftop was his secret sanctuary. He came up here anytime he felt like bashing someone's face, which was quite often. The look he had seen on her, it took him by surprise. She had such a cold composure through the two classes he had been with her; he hadn't realized she could be so broken apart like that.

So he led her up here, knowing that a breath of fresh air was what she needed.

It was quite for a long moment, and Sakura didn't know what to say to break the silence. She was late for class; she had to go back down. At the same time, she didn't want to go back down to face yet another class of crazy teenagers. After that fight, everyone was probably hyped up, which in turn, would cause her to be jittery.

"Is it okay to be up here?" she asked as she stared up at the blue sky.

"As long as no one else knows, then it's fine," he replied in a cool tone, placing her backpack and books on the graveled ground.

In other words, he was telling her to keep it a secret. She barely knew the guy and she already shared a secret with him. It was all so mind-numbing.

Sakura leaned down and unzipped her bag to take out her Ipod. She sat on the ground, leaning her back against the cement wall. "Thanks," she muttered before placing the headphones in her ears. She hadn't once looked at him, too afraid he might look into her eyes and see the life she was hiding.

Sasuke sighed as he ran a hand through his untamed hair. The girl had issues, he could tell. He wasn't sure what her problem was, nor was he going to pry into her life. She was a stranger, after all.

_A stranger whom you shared your secret place with_, he reminded himself. He pushed that thought away as he sat beside her, keeping a foot of distance between them. He had already missed fifteen minutes of the class; there was no point in going to class now. He would stay up here with her until the next period.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He enjoyed the solitude and didn't mind sharing it with this girl.

Sakura thought he would go back downstairs and leave her alone, but he did the opposite. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not. He wasn't probing her with questions, in fact, she was sure he had fallen asleep.

With a small smile, Sakura closed her own eyes and relaxed. For once, in her life, she was at peace.

_To be continued..._

* * *

_On the Next Chapter…_

He was so close to her. She realized then what the weird feeling he made her feel. For the first time, Sakura felt the feeling of desire. She had read about it, but never experienced it for herself. She wasn't sure if some of that feeling was hers as well, or purely his. Whose ever it was, she felt the urge to kiss him. She'd never kissed a boy before, never wanted to, until now.

Question was, would she regret it once she was alone, and able to think clearer?

His thumb pressed against her bottom lip, causing her to gasp at the pressure. As if it were natural to her, she tilted her head and pressed her lips to his.

* * *

HI GUYS! thanks for reading! hope you are enjoying the story so far! As far as main characters go,like Naruto and others, they are key characters once Sasuke and Sakura grow up. So right now, I'm making up some characters, aside from Ino.

Thank you for the reviews and the support, any questions or comments, please drop a review. :) :)


End file.
